It turns out that true environmentalists have to extend their boundaries upwards. Explained NASA scientist David Kessler, summarizing his "Kessler Syndrome":
"Even if we add nothing else to orbit, the amount of [space] debris could continue to increase as a result of random collisions between fairly large objects. You'd generate debris faster than the natural decay process could return it."
In case you didn't know, we kind of depend on satellites nowadays to make the world go. If those satellites cease to function, we'll be in trouble.
I know, I know: this throws a major kink into every child's resolution to the world's problems: jettison all the earth's unwanted crap into space.
The "good" news is that the U.S. is responsible for only about 30 percent of space debris; but a lot of it contains sensitive technology. Small consolation.
Far be it from me to draw a parallel to climate change, but... this is another example of a system going haywire and reaching a point of no return while we dither around. We have 20 years max to do something about it. Since space really is the final frontier (read up on the U.S. doctrine of "full spectrum dominance" one of these days), and all frontiers entail military conflict, I have little faith that the U.S. will work with other major space polluters to resolve this problem in due time.
In the short term, however, we can relax a little, knowing that the U.S. isn't really putting its money where its neocons' mouth is: we must rely on Russia to get it up -- into space, that is. Consequently, the U.S.S.R. recently celebrated its victory over America in the 54-year-old space race.
By Eyder Peralta
September 1, 2011 | NPR
